Loss And Gain
by Room3
Summary: A secret revealed and a loved one lost. (Character Death)


Author's Note –   
  
To be honest, this story was only written as a result of a challenge made to me by a friend. They are a big fan of the new series and challenged me to write a story based on it. And this, after being forced to watch a number of episodes, is the result.  
  
I was surprised by the maturity of the series, and the thought that had obviously gone into writing it, and consider it better than the original (although I only vaguely remember it). I definitely was glad they'd missed out the preachy morals at the end of the episodes, something that always bugged me about the original.  
  
Anyway, enough of my ramblings. I hope you enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer –  
  
I own none of the characters. I don't know who does, but I'm sure they're making a lot of money. Me, I'm making nothing from this.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Loss And Gain  
  
by Room3  
  
"It's time he knew Randor," Queen Marlena told his husband firmly. The two of them were sat in the great hall. The only other person present was Man-At-Arms. "He need only to look at the records to find out. It is better that we tell him."  
  
"You're right my dear, as always," Randor, king of Eternia replied, sighing. "Duncan," he continued, turning to his old friend, "would you fetch Adam?"  
  
"Of course your majesty," Man-At-Arms replied, bowing to the king and queen. He knew exactly where to find their son. He would no doubt be training with Teela. Their continued friendship was something that made no sense to Duncan. Ever since his sixteenth birthday, Adam would disappear whenever a fight with Skeletor's forces started. It was something he knew vexed her.  
  
Man-At-Arms sighed as he headed to the main courtyard. He hoped that someday soon he would be able to tell his daughter all the secrets he had hidden from her, but he also feared that day, for it would most likely be when she would have to take her mother's place as the guardian of Greyskull.  
  
"Need a hand?" he heard his daughter ask sweetly. Looking in the direction of her voice, Man-At-Arms saw Teela leaning over Adam. She held a wooden staff in her left hand and her right out to the fallen prince. Adam's staff lay on the ground a few feet from him. The boy grasped her hand and got to his feet. "Hello father," the girl said, noticing Duncan's approach.  
  
"Good afternoon Teela," Man-At-Arms responded, smiling at his little girl. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to take your sparring partner away. Adam, your mother and father wish to speak with you, in the great hall."  
  
"Okay," the prince replied. He picked up the staff he'd been using and tossed it over to his friend. "I'll have to get my own back later," he told her as she caught the wooden weapon.  
  
"Oh? You think so?" Teela asked pleasantly, arching her eyebrow in challenge. The boy smiled and waved, heading back into the palace. The girl watched him go for a few moments and then headed to her father's workshop.  
  
- - -  
  
"What's this all about?" Adam asked somewhat anxiously as the two approached the doors that led to the great hall.  
  
"Something that happened a long time ago," Man-At-Arms replied sadly. Before the prince could ask anything more, Duncan opened the doors and strode in. Adam quickly followed.  
  
"Thank you Duncan," Randor said as his son entered the chamber. He looked at the palace guards stood either side of the doors. "Please see that we are not disturbed," the king told them. They nodded and left, closing the ornate doors behind them.  
  
"What's going on?" Adam asked, looking at his parents.  
  
"Something we should have told you many years ago," Randor replied.  
  
"What?" the prince enquired.  
  
"My shame. My greatest failure," Man-At-Arms said, sinking into one of the chairs at the table. Marlena walked over to him and rested her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Nobody blames you Duncan," she told him softly. "You did all you could."  
  
"But it wasn't enough," he replied, hanging his head.  
  
"Could someone please tell me what you're talking about?" the prince asked, slightly peeved by the way they seemed to be ignoring him.  
  
"Not a what son, a who," the king explained. "Do you remember when you first got Cringer?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. I was feeling so lonely back then, like there was something missing," Adam said.  
  
"There was," Marlena said, taking a pendant from her neck and passing it to Adam. "Open it," she instructed. When he did, he saw a picture of his parents. They held two children, one boy and one girl, in their arms, smiling. The prince looked at his mother, puzzled.  
  
"Who are the babies?" he asked.  
  
"The one your mother is holding is you Adam," Randor informed him. "The other, the one I am holding in that picture is the reason you got Cringer."  
  
"Who is she?" the boy asked, closing the pendant and passing it back to his mother.  
  
"She is your sister Adam," Marlena replied. "Her name is Adora."  
  
"Wha...what sister? I don't have a sister!"  
  
"You do, but she was kidnapped when the two of you were only a few months old," Man-At-Arms told him. "We spent months searching every inch of Eternia, but we never found her, or the man who took her."  
  
"His name was Keylan," Randor continued, getting to his feet. "He was a servant here in the palace, but was also an agent of Keldor's."  
  
"Keldor?" the prince asked.  
  
"You'd know him as Skeletor son," his father clarified, closing the distance between them.  
  
"How come you never found her?" Adam asked, struggling to come to terms with what he was being told. He leant against a nearby wall for support.  
  
"Skeletor sent Keylan and her through a portal," Duncan explained, looking up. "Despite her best efforts, the Sorceress wasn't able to track it." He sighed. "I blame myself for what happened."  
  
"We were all fooled by Keylan old friend," the king told him.  
  
"The security of your family is my job your highness... And I failed!" Man-At-Arms spat. He got up and walked quickly from the hall. Marlena walked over to her son.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked.  
  
"How do you think I'm feeling mother?!" he snapped. "I just found out I've got a sister living who knows where with one of Skeletor's men!" The queen put her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. "Why didn't you tell me before?" he demanded, running from the room with tears in his eyes. The boy's mother watched him go, her heart heavy. Randor walked over to her and pulled his wife into his embrace.  
  
"He'll get over it," he said. "He just needs time."  
  
"I know," she whispered. "I just wish that none of this was necessary!"  
  
- - -  
  
"Adam? What's wrong?" Teela asked her friend when she caught up with him. She'd been surprised when she'd seen him run past her. The look of pain on his face had touched her deeply, more so than she thought was possible.  
  
"Just leave me alone Teela!" the prince told her, leaning against a tree on the edge of the forest.  
  
"No, I won't," she replied calmly. "Not until you tell me what's going on."  
  
"Fine!" he snapped at her. He looked at her, sighed, and hung his head. "I just found out I've got a sister out there somewhere," he told her.  
  
"I don't remember you having a sister," Teela responded softly.  
  
"Neither do I!" he yelled back. "She was kidnapped only a few months after we were born," he continued in a softer, grief filled voice. He felt something nudge his hand. It was Cringer. He rubbed the cat's head. "I was given Cringer to stop me missing her," he added, kneeling down and wrapping his arms around his pet.  
  
"I'm so sorry Adam," the girl said. She walked over and put her hand his shoulder. "I never knew."  
  
"I didn't either," he sobbed, burying his head in Cringer's coat.  
  
- - -  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me father?" Teela demanded. She was stood in the doorway to her father's workshop.  
  
"Because I was ashamed to," Man-At-Arms replied. "It was my failure that lead to Adora being kidnapped." He put down the tool he had been using and turned to face her. Teela's rage subsided when she saw the look on his face.  
  
"Father, I... I'm sorry," she said, walking over to him. "I never thought how this must be hurting you," she told him, wrapping her arms around his armoured shoulders.  
  
"Between you and Cringer, Adam has rarely been touched by the loneliness caused by her absence," Duncan commented. He sighed heavily. "To tell you the truth, I had hoped that Adam would never find out." Man-At-Arms pulled away from his daughter, and sat down on the edge of the desk, hanging his head.  
  
"For years I hoped we'd find her. That she'd miraculously appear in her crib," he muttered sadly. "But she never did," he added, looking up. Teela could see the tears in his eyes. "It took me more than five years to accept that she was gone forever." Duncan shook his head. "Five long years." He rubbed his eyes then looked at his daughter.  
  
"You were so young, it's not surprising you don't remember," he told her. "But I tried to resign many times during that period. The king refused to accept it, saying he still needed me." Man-At-Arms stared down at the floor. "I didn't believe him. I couldn't! How could he need someone who had let him down so badly?!" he sobbed, as the tears he'd been holding back began to flow. "How could he need me, when I'd let his little girl be taken from him?!"  
  
Teela watched, too shocked to speak, as her father, the strongest man she knew, began to cry. He fell to his knees, clutching his face. She wandered over and wrapped her arms around his shaking frame.  
  
"It's okay father," she whispered. "Just let it go."  
  
- - -  
  
Throughout the rest of the day, and into the next, the usually lively air of the palace faded to be replaced by a sombre atmosphere. The sadness emanating from the royal family and Man-At-Arms seemed to sap all joy from within the walls.  
  
"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Teela asked the prince as they sat on the shore of the lake within the Great Forest.  
  
"I will be," Adam replied quietly, ruffling the fur on Cringer's head. "I just..."  
  
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a female voice from behind them asked, interrupting him. Turing round, they saw Evil-Lyn, Trap Jaw and Tri-Klops advancing on their position. Teela got to her feet, drawing her staff and dropping into a defensive stance. Adam sighed, getting to his feet.  
  
"Get lost," the boy said. "I'm in no mood to play with you guys!"  
  
"Well that's just too bad!" Trap Jaw told him, morphing his right-arm into a blaster and aiming it the two young people. Adam drew his sword.  
  
"Looks like the prince is actually going to fight this time," Tri-Klops commented. The boy scowled at him.  
  
"Uh oh, looks like you made him angry!" Trap Jaw chuckled.  
  
"Enough playing! Get them!" Evil-Lyn commanded.  
  
- - -  
  
"Thanks for coming with me Ram-Man," Duncan said as they over-flew the forest.  
  
"No problem," the large Master replied. The sound of a large explosion assaulted their ears and a plume of smoke could be seen on the horizon. "Hey, that looks like it came from the lake."  
  
"That's where Teela said she and Adam were going," Man-At-Arms responded. He increased the speed of his Sky-Sled to maximum and headed towards what was obviously a battle. "This is Man-At-Arms to all Masters," Duncan said, activating the comm. unit on his vehicle. "Skeletor's forces are attacking the prince, at the lake in the Great Forest."  
  
- - -  
  
Adam leapt backwards as the yellow beam from Tri-Klops' head hit the ground in front of him. Trap Jaw lunged at him, his mechanical arm now a pincer. The prince blocked the blow with his sword, then kicked the green-faced warrior's feet from under him. He took two steps backwards and found himself on the edge of the lake.  
  
"Going somewhere?" a voice from behind him asked as a pair of slimy arms wrapped themselves around him. Adam looked over his shoulder to see Merman's ugly face. He brought the hilt of his sword down hard on the evil warrior's hands. The scaled one yelled and the boy managed to escape his grasp.  
  
Oh man! Not the fish-face too! the prince thought. A yellow beam of energy hit the ground at his feet, sending him flying.  
  
"Adam!" Teela cried, seeing the young man land. She dodged Evil-Lyn's staff and leapt over to him. He groaned and got to his knees, using his sword to support himself.  
  
"Looks like playtime's over," Trap Jaw commented. Adam and Teela looked up to see all four evil warriors bearing down on them.  
  
"Not yet it isn't!" Man-At-Arms yelled as he leapt off his Sky-Sled. His armour was in full battle mode and he swung his mace as he descended. Merman narrowly avoided the blow. Duncan's weapon smashed into the ground hard.  
  
"Missed me!" Merman taunted as Man-At-Arms stood. Duncan smiled and pointed to the left. The scaled warrior looked. "Uh oh," he gasped as Ram-Man ploughed into him, knocking him flying into the other three.  
  
"That evens things up a little," Adam said, taking a fighting stance.  
  
- - -  
  
Skeletor sighed as he watched the progress of the battle. How two children could manage to hold off four of his warriors until help had arrived was beyond him. He tightened his grasp on his staff.  
  
"No He-Man, hmm," he muttered. "Ah well! At least I can be rid of that accursed Prince Alan." He raised his staff and pointed it at Adam. The skull on the end began to glow as he channelled power into it.  
  
- - -  
  
Cringer cowered behind a bush as one of Tri-Klops' fireballs landed near him. The cat slowly backed away from the battle, not wishing to get caught in the crossfire. He sniffed the air. A familiar scent filled his nose. Skeletor was nearby.  
  
Cringer swung his head around, trying to find the evil warlord, mainly to avoid him. Then he saw him. His staff was glowing brightly, and it was pointing at Adam. Fearing for his friend more than he did his own safety, the cat leapt towards the prince.  
  
- - -  
  
"Goodbye young prince," Skeletor said aloud, and released the magical energy that he'd built up in his staff. The bolt of magic flew through the air silently. The evil one smiled as it neared its target. Just before it hit, a green streak leapt in the way. There was a blinding flash and deafening sound.  
  
"NO!" Skeletor cried as he saw the smoking body of the prince's pet feline.  
  
- - -  
  
"CRINGER!" Adam yelled, leaning over his friend. All action had ceased and all eyes were on the young prince. "Cringer?" the boy asked, tearfully. His sword lay forgotten by his side.  
  
"It's the Masters!" Tri-Klops called out, spotting the rest of Eternia's defenders heading towards the clearing.  
  
"Let's get out of here!" Trap Jaw shouted, running from the clearing.  
  
"Cringer? Open your eyes! Look at me!" the prince cried to his feline friend. He grabbed the animal's head and stared into his eyes. "Cringer?" he said, his voice wavering.  
  
"What happened?" Mekanek asked, running over to Adam.  
  
"He took a staff blast meant for Adam," Man-At-Arms explained. "Man-E-Faces, bring that Sky Sled over here!" he ordered. "We have to get him back to the palace." Between himself, Adam and Ram-Man they were able to lift the injured animal on to the vehicle.  
  
"We'll make sure those villains are truly gone," Stratos stated, taking to the air. Buzz-Off and Sy-Klone quickly followed, with Mekanek, Ram-Man and Man-E-Faces only a few seconds behind them. That left only Adam, Teela and Duncan to tend to the injured Cringer. Once he was satisfied the cat was securely attached to the Sky Sled Man-At-Arms took off and flew at top speed towards the palace.  
  
- - -  
  
"He's gonna be okay, isn't he?!" Adam begged for what seemed like the thousandth time. They'd returned to the palace almost an hour ago, and Cringer had been rushed into the infirmary.  
  
"I'm sure he will be," Randor told his son calmly, but he knew his words to be false. From what Teela had whispered to him, it seemed very unlikely the cat would survive. The prince resumed his pacing.  
  
"Any word?" Ram-Man asked, walking towards the infirmary doors.  
  
"Not yet," Teela replied, her eyes fixed on the boy. "Any luck catching them?"  
  
"No, but we chased them all the way back to Snake Mountain," the large Master told her. She sighed and shook her head.  
  
One day soon, she promised herself, that mountain is going to fall, and so will Skeletor! The doors of the infirmary opened and a weary Man-At-Arms walked out.  
  
"How is he?" Adam asked, his voice breaking. Duncan put his hand on the boy's shoulder and sighed sadly.  
  
"I'm sorry Adam," he said softly, "but there's nothing we can do."  
  
"NO!" the prince sobbed, dropping to his knees.  
  
"How long has he got?" the king asked. Teela knelt down beside Adam and embraced him.  
  
"Another half hour at most," Man-At-Arms replied. He noticed his daughter's position and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Can...can I see him?" Adam asked, looking up with tears streaming down his face. Duncan nodded. Teela helped the boy to his feet and escorted him to the door.  
  
"Teela," the girl's father called. She looked at him, about to cross the threshold. He jerked his head back, indicating she was to let the boy proceed alone. The girl closed her eyes and nodded sadly. She closed the doors behind the prince.  
  
"Of all the things Skeletor has ever done, this must be the most heinous!" Randor exclaimed, slamming his fist into the wall beside him. "First he has the boy's sister taken, then kills his pet!"  
  
Sister?! Ram-Man wondered, doing his best to mask his confusion. What sister?! Adam doesn't have a sister.  
  
- - -  
  
"Has anyone seen Adam this morning?" Teela asked as she entered the great hall, having noticed the prince's absence. The assembled Master's shook their heads. Her father looked at her.  
  
"He's still in his room," Man-At-Arms informed her. "I don't think he'll be going us."  
  
"But shouldn't someone..."  
  
"I think it's probably best to leave him alone for now," King Randor said, getting to his feet and walking over to her. "I doubt he slept much last night." Gently, he put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "He's probably not feeling up to company right now," he added softly. Teela sighed and her shoulders sagged. Randor turned to Duncan. "Have you begun the preparations we discussed?"  
  
"Yes your majesty, Man-At-Arms replied. "All should be ready by tomorrow evening." Teela sat down in her seat heavily. Her father leant towards her. "I know how you feel Teela," he whispered, "but the king is right. For now, Adam needs to be alone." The girl closed her eyes and nodded sadly.  
  
- - -  
  
"GO AWAY!" Adam yelled through the closed door. "Why can't they just leave me alone?!" he sobbed, burying his head in his pillow. He was lead face down on his bed. "I said go away!" he shouted, hearing his door creak open.  
  
"No, I won't," a soft feminine voice replied. The prince lifted his head and looked at the door, wondering who would dare disobey him. His eyes widened slightly as he saw Teela slowly close the door behind her.  
  
"Leave me alone Teela," the boy said, his voice weak from crying.  
  
"I'm not here to have a go at you," the girl assured him, quietly. "I thought you might want a friendly face to talk to." Adam turned his head to face the wall beside his bed. She walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. "It might help," she told him, noticing the crumpled mess of the clothes he wore. He obviously hadn't changed since the day before.  
  
"Why should I?" he demanded. "What have I got left? No sister, no Cringer, no nothing!"  
  
"You've still got me," the redhead told him softly.  
  
"Yeah, but for how long?"  
  
"What do you mean?" the girl asked, puzzled.  
  
"Think about it," Adam told her. "The people that matter the most, that are important to me, are always taken from me. First my sister, now Cringer," he explained, his voice breaking. "How long 'til you're gone too?"  
  
"That's not going to happen," his friend assured him.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Adam!" the girl said sharply, causing him to look at her. Her heart broke as she saw his face up-close. His deep blue eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and his face bore the black marks left behind by tears. And there was such pain in his eyes, eyes that were usually filled with joy. She resolved there and then to do all she could to help the boy.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere," she told him tenderly, putting her hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and nodded weakly, excepting her words. She squeezed his shoulder and let go.  
  
I matter to Adam? I'm important to him? she wondered, his ranted words sinking in. Despite herself, her heart skipped a beat. She gave her head a gentle shake. Get a hold of yourself. Of course you matter to him Teela, you're his friend.  
  
- - -  
  
Man-At-Arms hesitantly opened the door to the prince's chamber. He'd heard of the prince's insistence at being left alone from the talk of the servants, but he needed to speak to the boy. He paused as he took in the scene that greeted him. His daughter was sat on Adam's bed, with the young man's head on her lap. His slow breathing made it clear to Duncan that the boy was asleep.  
  
Teela looked up as her father entered the room, putting her finger to her lip to indicate he should be quiet. Man-At-Arms quietly closed the door behind himself and padded softly over to the bed.  
  
"How is he?" he whispered in his daughter's ear.  
  
"Asleep, at last," she replied sadly, before sighing. "He's been crying for the last couple of hours."  
  
"I'm not surprised," Duncan commented. "We'll be holding a passing ceremony for Cringer tomorrow. Do you think he'll be up to attending?"  
  
"I hope so," Teela said, softly stroking the prince's blonde hair. The boy murmured in his sleep, but did not wake. Man-At-Arms was slightly taken aback by his daughter's tender actions, and not just those he was witnessing now, but also those of the day before.  
  
"Was there something else father?" Teela asked when her father continued to stand beside the prince's bed. Her questions brought him out of his musings.  
  
"What? Oh, no. Nothing," he quickly replied. As quietly as he entered, he left the room.  
  
- - -  
  
"That was a beautiful ceremony," Teela commented as she thought back over the past few hours, leaning against the wall beside Adam's bed. The prince looked up from where he was sat, slumped on the bed. With Skeletor still an active threat, they had forgone the usual attire for such ceremonies, insisting only that all present wore nothing on their hands, as was traditional.  
  
"Yeah," he agreed sadly, "it was." He sighed and lowered his head once again, fighting the tears that threatened to flow.  
  
"Are you okay Adam?" the redhead asked softly, noticing his tone.  
  
"I will be," the blonde prince replied. A few moments later, he looked up at the girl. "Thank you Teela," he said.  
  
"For what?" the warrior-girl asked.  
  
"For all the help and support you've given me over the last few days," he said, getting to his feet. "For being a friend when I needed it the most." He walked over and stood in front of her. "I don't know what I'd've done without you."  
  
"That's okay Adam," Teela replied, staring into the depths of his sad blue eyes. "I'm just glad I could help," she added, reaching forward and cupping his cheek with her hand.  
  
Neither was prepared for the storm of emotion that tore through them as a result of that simple contact. Both breathed heavily as the redhead slowly rubbed her finger against the prince's cheek. They stared deep in to each others eyes, inhaling the other's scent. Unconsciously, the prince slowly began to move closer to her, never breaking eye contact.  
  
Before either of them knew it, they were mere inches apart. Acting purely on instinct, instinct he never knew or imagined he had, Adam hesitantly reached up and ran two fingers down the side of Teela's face, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. A small shiver ran up the warrior's spine as a result of the gentle caress. Without realising it, the girl's eyes narrowed slightly and her head angled itself towards his fingers.  
  
Adam's hand slowly floated back to its previous location, the prince still acting purely on impulse. Teela moved her hand up from the side of his face and brushed a few stray strands of hair back into place, enjoying the feel of it between her fingers. Her hand then drifted further back and came to a stop resting on the back of his neck.  
  
Overwhelmed by a sudden shyness, the female warrior bowed her head, breaking eye contact. Adam reached up and gently tilted her head back up and stared into her eyes again.  
  
Teela blushing?! the small part of his mind that was still working properly commented, noticing the reddish tint to her cheeks. His head tilted slightly to one side and began to lean towards her. Her breath tickled his lips as their faces neared. His hand drifted from beneath her chin and came to a stop on her cheek. Their eyes closed as the distance between them narrowed. Then their lips touched.  
  
Teela was overwhelmed by a surge of passion. Her left arm, which had hung loosely beside her, now wrapped itself around the prince's neck, joining the right. She leaned forward, unconsciously pulling the boy's head against hers. Adam's hand dropped from her face and both arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Both of their minds raced as they embraced, both wondering at the enjoyment that came from holding the other tightly.  
  
The world around them had faded and the need for air forced their lips apart. They stood there, foreheads resting against each other, recovering their breath, staring into each others eyes. Neither wanted to move, neither wanted to loose the certainty that holding the other gave them. Eventually, conscious thought returned to them and Teela let Adam go, backing herself against the wall as far as she could, a panicked look on her face, aghast at what had just transpired. The sight of her expression caused the prince to hang his head.  
  
"I…uh…I shouldn't have done that," the blonde boy muttered, backing away from the warrior.  
  
"No… I mean, it was my fault…" Teela stammered, walking towards the door. "I mean…"  
  
"Teela," Adam called, looking at her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "Don't go," he requested.  
  
"But I…"  
  
"I… I don't want you to leave," he told her, hanging his head once more. "I don't want to be alone."  
  
"I'll send Orko to…"  
  
"NO!" the prince exclaimed loudly. "No, I… I want… I… I'd like you to stay," he eventually managed to stammer in a softer tone.  
  
"I shouldn't," Teela responded. "Not after what I just did."  
  
"You…you didn't do anything wrong," Adam told her, slumping down on his bed.  
  
"Yes I did," the warrior rebutted. "I… I took advantage of… I mean to say that I…" She gave up and sighed. There was silence for a few moments. "Oh Ancients!" she exclaimed, sitting down on the bed. "What just happened? Why did it happen?"  
  
"I dunno," her friend replied, his head in his hands. "But I'm the one who should be apologising."  
  
"Adam," Teela said, resting her hand on his shoulder, "you've got nothing to apologise for."  
  
"Yes I have. I shouldn't have kissed you like that."  
  
"You didn't exactly force it on me," the warrior sighed, "and I didn't exactly try to stop you." He looked up at her. "And…to be honest…I kind of enjoyed it."  
  
"You did?" Adam asked, a little surprised, looking at her.  
  
"As much I feel I shouldn't have, I have to admit that I did," she told the prince, staring off into space. She felt a hand cover the one on the boy's shoulder. She looked at him and couldn't help but return his smile.  
  
"Teela, there's…there's something I wanna say," the blonde said hesitantly, realising his hold on her hand.  
  
"What?" she enquired.  
  
"I… I think I…" he started, trailing off and sighing. "I really like you Teela. A lot. And I mean I REALLY like you."  
  
"Oh," was all the girl could think to say as his words sank in. "You know Adam, I always used to think of you as a little brother," she told him and felt his shoulders sag. "I said 'used to'. Now, to be honest, I'm not really sure." She squeezed his shoulder gently. "I know I like you, but I don't know in what way, or how much." She shook her head. "No, that's not true. I didn't know. I do now."  
  
"What are you saying?" Adam asked, a strange look in his eyes.  
  
"I'm trying to say that, despite your running off at the first sign of danger, that I…I… I've fallen in love with you," Teela replied, closing her eyes, afraid to see rejection in his. She felt the bed shift as the boy stood and feared what would come next.  
  
A hand on her shoulder made her open her eyes. It then moved so that it was held out to her. She took it and was pulled to her feet. She was startled when the prince bent down and kissed the back of her hand.  
  
"I've fallen for you too Teela," Adam said, smiling radiantly at her and releasing her hand. For a few moments they stood in silence, staring at each other. Then the warrior took one step forward and wrapped her arms around the prince, burying her head into his shoulder. Her heart soared as she felt his arms wrap themselves around her and felt his head leaning against hers.  
  
"So, were do we go from here?" the young prince asked.  
  
- - -  
  
  
  
"Man, this sure is a nice way to spend the day," Adam related. His eyes were closed and his head lay on Teela's lap as the two of them sat in the shade within the palace courtyard. Three days had passed since the passing ceremony.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," the redhead replied, sighing heavily.  
  
"What's the matter Teela?" the prince asked, opening his eyes and staring up at her face. She turned her head and stared of into space.  
  
"I can't help but wonder what the other Masters would say if they saw us like this," the girl told him. "I mean, I'm not ashamed about how I feel about you, it's just…"  
  
"You don't want to look any less of a warrior," the blonde finished for her.  
  
"I guess," Teela responded, her mind wandering.  
  
"Ah, don't worry about it," Adam told her. Teela looked down at the boy's smiling face.  
  
"But what would my father say?" she said.  
  
"I'd say it's about time," a voice said loudly from a short distance away. Adam shot up and they both looked in the direction the voice had come, seeing Man-At-Arms bearing down on them.  
  
"Father…" Teela said.  
  
"We were just…" Adam began at the same time, but Duncan held up his hand to silence them.  
  
"I know what you were doing," Man-At-Arms said softly. "If you want to keep this a secret, I suggest you keep such displays of affection for less public locations. Keep this up, and the servants will fill the palace with rumours." Adam swallowed hard and nodded. "Good. Dinner will be served in a few minutes."  
  
"We'll be there," the redhead assured her father and he walked away, a smile on his face.  
  
- - -  
  
"With luck, things should get back to normal around here now," the king said as Duncan returned to the hall. Only the two men and the queen were present as the rest of the Masters were all out on patrol or had personal business to attend to.  
  
"Well, at least one good thing came out of all this," Man-At-Arms replied, sitting down.  
  
"And what might that be?" the queen asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"You'll see very shortly," Duncan replied, a sly smile on his lips. The king was about to say something when the hall doors opened. The rulers of Eternia were surprised to see Adam and Teela walk in, hand in hand. They released each other, and the prince gave the girl a peck on the cheek before taking his seat beside his father.  
  
"I see what you mean Duncan," Randor commented, smiling.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
And there you have it. I'd be interested in hearing any comments you may have. I also get the feeling that my friend (who knows who they are!) will want a sequel. What do you guys think?  
  
E-mail – CEO_Room3@Hotmail.com 


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